Lawyers at Irwin Mitchell specialising in helping victims of illness in the UK and abroad have revealed their concerns after reports that the infectious disease Hepatitis A, which can lead to fatal liver complications, has affected two men and five women in the UK.

It is reported that the people affected ate sun-dried tomatoes and had not travelled to a country with high rates of disease. The virus can be passed on by contaminated food or water.

Health protection officials do not know which brand of sun-dried tomatoes is responsible, however an investigation is underway following fears that the product is still on sale and therefore could cause more people to fall ill.

Elizabeth Tetzner, a legal expert at Irwin Mitchell who acts for those who have suffered illness as a result of consumption of contaminated foods, said: “News of this outbreak is a major concern, but we welcome efforts from the Health Protection Agency and other bodies to address this.

“A full investigation into this outbreak may play a huge role in determining how these problems emerge and also provide important answers as to how similar issues could be prevented in the future.

“We hope health authorities can also work to locate the source before anyone else suffers as a result of this outbreak.”